The use of a digital tachograph is mandatory for certain motor vehicles that were first placed on the market on or after May 1, 2006. This applies to vehicles used to transport goods and whose maximum permissible mass, including trailers or semi-trailers, exceeds 3.5 metric tons, as well as vehicles used to transport passengers and which are suitable and intended by virtue of their design and equipment to transport more than nine persons - including the driver.

The digital tachograph records driving times and rest periods, makes manipulations more difficult that are detrimental to general road safety and the safety and health of the driver, and facilitates monitoring by those responsible in the company and by the supervisory authorities. The driver card is used instead of the so-called record sheet in analog tachographs. The driver card contains information on the identity of the driver and enables activity data such as driving and rest times to be stored.

The possession or use of a driver card is a prerequisite for driving with vehicles that are subject to the driving and rest time regulations. Each driver may only have one driver card.

The following data in particular can be read off:

• Surname, first name, date of birth, photograph and signature of the applicant,
• driver's license number,
• Nationality of the issuing state,
• period of validity (from / to),
• driving and rest periods (including breaks and whether the driver drove alone or in two-driver mode),
• data concerning the vehicle (hours of operation, date, registration number, mileage),
• events, errors and controls.